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| Lillian Rose |
By Lillian Rose
LLP Social Media Intern
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| Kennedy Award Interview |
For her, an individual understanding that they can stand firm in their beliefs by using evidence and opening their mind to take in another person’s perspective is a priority that she incorporates into her everyday lessons. She implements these strategies because she understands it is a rare occurrence in today’s world to use your own thinking to explain why or why something is not correct in society when opposing sides say something different.
Accordingly, Prof. Kennedy provides her students with open discussion to explain their rationale, which in turn, helps her learn something new from her students. As a political science major and English minor, it was enlightening to hear from a professor who teaches her students to be critical, but still be open to other people’s perspectives.
As we got deeper into the interview, Prof. Kennedy says, “be able to articulate my side before you start trying to dismantle my argument. If you can’t reconstruct it, you can’t deconstruct it.” From this, I learned that there is an importance to hearing someone out, before trying to tear down their viewpoints. I understood that I could stand firm in my viewpoints without being overly defensive toward others.
Ultimately, it is okay to hear someone out without feeling that they are coming for you personally. When the interview concluded, I had a new understanding of what it means to dive into the world of philosophy in order to become a rational thinker and an evolving student. I was able to understand Professor Kennedy’s way of engaging with her students, as well as how much she pours into her students, so they can become well-rounded thinkers.
Click the image below to Enjoy the full interview below
My "Uniquely Human" Interview with Prof. B. Kennedy
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